The disclosure relates thin laminates exhibiting light response functionality, and more particularly to thin laminates that exhibit both light responsiveness and incorporate a display unit.
Laminates are often utilized as windows and glazing in architectural and vehicle or transportation applications, including automobiles, rolling stock, locomotive and airplanes. Such laminates can also be used as glass panels in balustrades and stairs, and as decorative panels or coverings for walls, columns, elevator cabs, household and industrial appliances and other applications. The laminates can be a transparent, semi-transparent, translucent or opaque part of a window, panel, wall, enclosure, sign or other structure. Common types of laminates are used in architectural and/or vehicular applications include clear and tinted laminated glass structures.
Conventional laminate constructions typically used in automotive applications include two plies of 2 mm soda lime glass with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. Such laminates exhibit limited impact resistance and higher weight. Moreover, these laminates exhibit poor performance characteristics, including a higher probability of breakage when struck by roadside debris, vandals and other objects of impact as well as lower fuel efficiencies for a respective vehicle. Known laminates often exhibit inferior optical properties and do not incorporate light response functionality or display technologies. Accordingly, there is a need for laminates that are thin and lightweight, which also exhibit light responsiveness, incorporate display units and can be formed into complexly curved shapes.